Cruel and Unusual Blues

I know it's sacrilege to mess with this song, but the days of Johnny Cash playing concerts in California prisons are over, replaced by Governor Jerry Brown whining about federal judges sticking their noses in our prisons. Never mind the deaths, sterilizations and lack of clean water, among other things.

For those of you who are just itching to say "lock 'em up and throw away the key" in the comments, just remember, we can't give all prisoners life sentences in solitary confinement. The dysfunction and lack of rehabilitation in our prisons comes back to haunt us when inmates are released. So if the human compassion argument doesn't win you over, think about how we're all better off if prisoners return to the outside without being completely traumatized and dehumanized on the inside.